Giuliani: Federal workforce is too big

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Today's federal civilian workforce is too large, according to Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani, and if elected president, he would rely on new technologies rather than replace all of the federal workers who are expected to retire in the coming decade.

Agency managers are scrambling to come up with ways to attract younger workers to government jobs because more than 40 percent of the federal workforce is eligible to retire in the next 10 years. However, the government would be better off following the lead of the private sector and increasing its investment in technology instead, Giuliani said at a Sept. 21 breakfast sponsored by the Northern Virginia Technology Council.

"One of the things that I promote is to reduce the size of the federal workforce," he said. "The civilian workforce is just too big. Forty-two percent are coming up for retirement. I wouldn't rehire half of them."

Throughout the speech, the former New York mayor emphasized the importance of new technologies to the future of the country. For example, they could play a key role in addressing illegal immigration and security concerns, Giuliani said.

"The future of America is directly connected to technology," he said. "Technology is the key to keeping our country safe against terrorism. Technology can transform government from being a [slow]-moving, Industrial Age kind of bureaucracy to one that is an information-based workforce, and that can make a great difference in doing the kinds of things that we have to do in government, which is reduce the size of it [and] increase the effectiveness of it."

Most of all, technology can help the country's economy by creating jobs and fueling industries that produce products that can be sold worldwide, he said.

If elected, he would keep the economy and the technology industry growing, Giuliani said, which a Democratic administration would not do. He said he favors lower corporate taxes, but the Democrats would stifle growth by raising taxes and thereby encouraging investors to go elsewhere.

In the past year, the Northern Virginia Technology Council has also hosted speeches by Republican presidential hopefuls Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts. The group said it has also invited leading Democratic candidates but did not say if or when they would speak.

Washington Technology, an 1105 Media publication, was a sponsor of the Sept. 21 breakfast.